Sisterhood
by mostlypsychotic
Summary: Coralie and Arisha have been inseparable since the Nord rescued the Khajiit from a group of bandits. But when Coralie becomes involved with an Imperial fugitive and dragons return to Skyrim, the lives of the two will be thrown out of balance and into turmoil.
1. Chapter 1

The guard first noticed her wandering through the market stalls, her hands clenched together and her face tight with worry. She was a young woman with the broad, unmistakable face of a Nord, he noted as she drew near, her eyes wide.

"Excuse me," she said quietly, glancing about her before leaning in, "have you seen any Khajiit?"

"Khajiit?" the guard echoed, looking around as well. "Not recently, no. They don't tend to frequent the towns." The girl frowned, shaking her head firmly.

"That's not what I mean. I-"

"Where do you think _you're _going? Thief! Thief!"

By instinct, the guard drew his sword, and his conversation partner stepped back, flinching a little. The town square's attention was now on a blur of gray and black as it burst across the bridge and continued, making a beeline for the town's exit. At the guard's side, the girl sighed, her shoulders slumped.

"Never mind, then," she mumbled, dashing off as well.

The thief knew all the rules by now. Keep your tail up, or a wily pursuer might try and step on it. Don't look behind you to see how close the pursuers are. Granted, she didn't usually get caught. Citizens of Riften were simply..._especially _used to pickpockets. Even so, she knew the door would be blocked off. She would have to find a different way over the city wall and to her freedom-

She certainly hadn't expected somebody to come lunging at her out of a nearby tree. In an instant, she was on the cobblestone path, with a pair of familiar arms around her waist.

"You ruin all my fun," the Khajiit murmured, sitting up and rubbing her arms. When she turned around, she found that her companion was already on her feet and focused on the disgruntled shopkeeper behind them.

"I'm very, _very _sorry about my friend's behavior. Truly. What did she take? I'll get her to give it back," the Nord promised, wringing her hands again. As the shopkeeper explained the situation, not holding back any insults that came to mind, the thief in question shrugged his words off, her mind already wandering. If she had just managed to run a little faster, she could have hid at the stables and waited for her friend to come and find her...then, they could take a carriage to the next city and hopefully avoid the same types of trouble.

"Arisha." The Nord was speaking to her again, it seemed. The Khajiit sighed, shaking her head and reaching into the pouch on her back.

"Alright, alright. Here's your ring back, mister," she said, her eye contact never wavering as she placed the ring back into its owners outstretched palm. "I'm sorry, truly. The town was introduced to me as 'home of the Thieves' Guild,' so you can understand my confusion."

"Watch your back, Khajiit," was the shopkeeper's only reply as he pocketed the ring and turned on his heel, leaving the two partners to share a moment of wary eye contact.

"We could have sold that for quite the coin, you know," Arisha pointed out as the Nord turned on her heel and headed for the gates. "Did you see the ruby?"

"I saw the ruby." The woman pressed a finger to her temple, her eyes squeezed shut. "Do you have something against beds, Arisha? Because I would like to be able to sleep in one again. But every time we get near a hotel, _something _compels you to grab something. Why is that?"

"You know what they say," the Khajiit pointed out, nodding cheerfully at the guards as they headed out through the gates and to the adjacent stables. "I'm just a 'dirty, thieving Khajiit who doesn't know where her paws belong,' as I hear it." She grinned widely, but it faltered when she got no response. "Oh, Coralie, don't be angry. You know I mean no harm."

"Of course not," Coralie replied resignedly, nodding. Her years with Arisha had taught her better than to base her opinions off of stereotypes alone, but there was something that led her to believe that her companion was genetically _compelled _to pick pockets and locks. Not to mention, in these days the Nords were especially wary of visitors altogether. The Khajiit just happened to get into trouble more often than most, but the war had the entire province on edge. "You know this means we'll have to find another place to spend the night. At least until this little incident gets forgotten," she added at last, pushing through the heavy gates and continuing on towards the stables.

"I rather liked the hotel in Whiterun," Arisha chimed in. "I bet the owner's forgotten about me by now. And if not...well, that's why you're here, eh?" She snickered a bit, nodding at the carriage driver as Coralie rooted through her pockets for the gold they needed.

"Be careful with the jokes," the Nord woman warned while they climbed into the carriage. "We could have made some decent money in Riften."

"Not the way _you _see it," Arisha argued, crossing her arms. "The only way you can make decent money is by signing up with the Thieves' Guild. Your Nord honor wouldn't allow _that_, now, would it?"

"Of course not," the Nord in question chuckled, the parallel always amusing her. Nords may have their stereotypes about the Khajiit, but the Khajiit had some pretty scathing stereotypes of their own. Arisha just tended to stick with the tame ones. "So, back to Whiterun it is. Take us there, mister," she told the driver, tossing him the coins and sitting back again. "Just promise you won't try to pickpocket one of the Companions again, understand?" Arisha threw back her head and laughed, the fond memory of the chase that ensued returning.

"Now, _that _was fun. Even you were laughing by the end of it. That Vilkas boy, he does not mess around." Coralie allowed herself to smile now, and shook her head fondly.

"You heard me, Arisha."


	2. Chapter 2

"There once was a hero named Ragnar the Red, who came riding to Whiterun from old Rorikstead..."

"I'm warning you, Coralie," Arisha began menacingly, holding up her claws so that they glinted in the sun. "Start singing that damn song one more time, and I'll-"

"We have arrived, ladies," the driver interrupted, pulling the horse to a stop in front of the stables. "Just follow the path up to the front gates as usual. Have a good one." As the two girls hopped back onto steady ground, Coralie observed how barren the stables really were, save for a few uneasy-looking horses.

"It's quiet today," she noted, glancing around. "What time is it?"

"The sun's still out," Arisha replied, frowning. "Maybe they're having a festival of some sort. You never can tell with a city like Whiterun-" Before she could go on, she found herself facing a tall, heavyset guard that stood between them and the gates. "Why, hello, sir."

"I'm going to have to ask you two to stop right there," the guard said curtly. "City's closed when dragons are about." The newcomers shared a glance, their thoughts one and the same.

_Dragons?_

"What are you talking about?" Coralie asked, a tinge of excitement in her voice. "You've seen a dragon?"

"Not me, specifically," the guard replied, not bothering to hide his surprise at how friendly the two were. "Word's come up that Helgen was attacked, nearly burned to the ground. The beast just flew off, hardly even _touched_. So we have to protect the city. We'll be ready for some dragon."

"It's still alive?" the Nord echoed, fighting a smile as she listened on. Truth be told, the story was one of the most exciting she had heard in a long time, and in Helgen! Not only was the dragon still at large, it was nearby!

"Look," her companion remarked, crossing her arms impatiently, "if that's the case, shouldn't you be _letting _people into the city? That way we'll be protected. You can't bear the thought of sending two hardly-armed young women back out where they could be eaten by a dragon, can you?" The guard coughed uncomfortably, giving his fellow protector a helpless look before turning back to the two.

"I _suppose_...f-fine, fine. Go in, but don't _try _anything," he warned, moving to unlock the gates.

The moment they were inside, Coralie turned to the Khajiit, beaming.

"I knew I could count on you," she said admiringly, before clapping her hands together. "Can you believe it, Arisha? A _dragon_, in Skyrim! Could you imagine killing a dragon?"

"I've never given it much thought," Arisha replied, a little bit anxious at the thought. Maybe she didn't have that type of adventurous blood that the Nord was gifted with, but deep down, she knew she hardly had a chance against a terrifying beast such as that. If Coralie wanted to let imagination take over, she wouldn't stop her, but in reality...? "Why don't we get something to drink? We've got some coin to spare," she added, gesturing down the path at the tavern. Plus, once Coralie was a bit tipsy and being offered different jobs, maybe the thought of dragons and such would leave her mind. Good riddance, too.

On the contrary, the Bannered Mare just gave the adventurer a bit more room to discuss Helgen with the other visitors. She ended up seated on a bench, a tall bottle of mead in her hand and an attentive look in her face as she discussed the breaking news.

"I have a friend down in Riverwood," one of the women was saying worriedly. "I do hope the Jarl finds some sense to send troops down there. The poor town is defenseless."

"I heard Ulfric Stormcloak was to be executed at Helgen! Does this mean he's free _again_?" another was asking, wringing her hands.

"I can hardly believe it myself," a man piped up, taking a swig of his ale before continuing. "If there's a dragon out there...well, we're going to have to take up archery. I'm no good with a bow."

"Are we even sure arrows could get to it?" Coralie asked him, frowning. "A dragon's got to have thick skin."

"Thick skin can't always be relied on," he argued, crossing his arms. "How about you, girl? Are _you _any good with a bow?"  
"As a matter of fact, it's what I know best," the Nord said simply, smiling sagely over her bottle. "Arisha here taught me everything I know." The Khajiit squirmed a little, feeling a few pairs of suspicious eyes on her. She knew her kind wasn't usually too common in the cities, and she could practically read the thoughts on the customers' faces, for one thing. For another, she _still _wasn't fond of all this talk of dragons. For a third, it seemed that Coralie had forgotten why they had come to the tavern in the first place.

"I apologize for breaking up this lively conversation," she spoke up at last, swishing her tail across the floor for good measure, "but it seems my companion has forgotten why we're here. We came to Whiterun looking for work, actually." The bartender leaned forward, gesturing out the door.

"If you head up to Jorrvaskr, the Companions are looking for new members," she offered. Now the Khajiit snickered, and Coralie smiled widely before shaking her head.

"I'm afraid not," she said politely, apparently back on the topic at last. "Arisha and I are more of the wandering type. We could be deliverers, or bandit-chasers..."

"Deliverers, you said?" Over in the corner, the bard had been tuning his lute and listening in to the conversation, but seemed to have taken a sudden interest in the offer. "I've been saving a package for a fine young lady in Windhelm, but I've yet to find the time to go up there. If you two would do it for me, there's some coin in it for you." Coralie pushed herself off of the bench, nodding in agreement as she approached him.

"Sounds easy enough, I suppose. We'll take it."

"Excellent! She's the bartender at Candlehearth Hall. You can't miss her," the bard explained cheerfully. "Once you come back, I'll have your reward ready." Arisha relaxed at long last, standing up and following her friend as they finally headed out of the crowded bar.

"Finally," she sighed, shaking her head wearily. Coralie gave her a sympathetic look, laying a hand on her arm.

"It's not your fault," she assured her. "It's a shame, but it's how it is in Skyrim. Old grudges are hard to get rid of of, and we Nords have always been a stubborn bunch."

"I have noticed," the Khajiit grumbled. "It seems we're on the road again, then. Windhelm is quite the walk."


End file.
